1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a storage apparatus for compact disks. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for storing a plurality of compact disk containers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The compact disk is an increasingly popular medium for distributing recorded music. Because of the enhanced sound quality and durability available from a laser recording, the compact disk is favored over cassette tapes and albums. Most compact disks are held within a plastic container for protection during storage. The typical container includes a base formed to support the disk and a hinged cover which is pivotable from a closed position to an open position for retrieval of the disk.
The compact size of a disk, one fourth the size of a record album, substantially reduces the amount of space needed for storing disks compared to that required for the traditional albums. The disk containers are usually stacked in a horizontal row for storage on an ordinary shelf or in an entertainment cabinet with the stereo equipment. Most entertainment cabinets have widely spaced shelves primarily adapted for storing the taller traditional albums. Similarly, ordinary shelves are vertically separated by a distance substantially greater than the height of a disk container. As a result, a substantial amount of available storage space above the row of disk containers is wasted. Most shelves are also much wider than the disk container. This extra space may not be efficiently used without preventing access to the disk containers positioned at the back of the shelf. Thus, one of the advantages of the disks, their compact size, is not being fully utilized.
Various devices have been developed for storing compact disks. One type of device is shaped as a cube and has four sides which are configured to hold several disk containers in parallel alignment. The cube-shaped device provides an attractive method for storing a number of disks, but does not fully utilize available shelf space. Another type of device currently available includes a horizontal shelf having a plurality of parallel grooves. The disk container is slipped into a groove, which is formed to hold the container in a substantially vertical orientation. As with the storage cube, the shelf device does not take full advantage of the available storage space.
Selected musical recordings are available as a set of four compact disks. The packaging for the multiple disks includes a box having a plastic tray divided into four compartments arranged in a square. Each compartment includes a pair of finger slots formed on opposing walls for use when removing the disk containers from the packaging. The compact disks may be stored within the packaging to more efficiently utilize the available storage space by using the area in front of and above the row of individual disk containers. However, the box itself is somewhat thick, and will occupy a significant portion of the shelf, displacing several disks from the row of individual containers. In addition, storing the compact disks within the box is quite cumbersome since the box must be removed from the shelf and opened each time a user wishes to select a disk for play. Storing the disk containers in the plastic tray alone is not feasible, since the box is necessary for stability and for retaining the containers within the compartments.
One type of storage device does maximize the use of available storage area between adjacent shelves. The storage frame device consists of a plurality of wooden rods affixed to supports and arranged to form a number of vertically spaced shelves. By creating additional shelves, the storage frame substantially increases the number of disk containers which may be stored in the entertainment cabinet or on the ordinary shelf. Since the storage frame has a predetermined size, the device may not properly fit within the entertainment cabinet or on the shelving. The storage frame may be either too large to fit within the individual area or too small to maximize the use of the available storage space.
To take full advantage of the compact size of disk containers, a storage apparatus which utilizes a portion of the space available above a row of parallel containers is desirable. The available storage capacity for the disk containers varies with the individual user. Therefore, an apparatus which could be efficiently used with shelving arrangements of various sizes would be particularly useful.
When desiring to play a particular recording, the user selects a compact disk, pivots the cover of the disk container to an open position and removes the disk. Occasionally, the cover will stick while in the closed position. Since the disk container has a very narrow width, opening the cover becomes quite difficult. Before retrieving the disk, the disk container must be removed from the storage device. The disk containers must be carefully removed from and precisely positioned in the storage device. Thus, playing a compact disk is both time consuming and inconvenient as special care must be taken when handling a disk container.
A storage apparatus which allowed for retrieval of the compact disk without first removing the container from the apparatus is highly desirable. An apparatus which provides permanent storage for disk containers and facilitates the opening of the container cover would be especially desirable.